We booked a cottage with a twenty pounds deposit last year for June this year. They took our balance even though they knew we could not travel due to the covid 19 restrictions. I could have stopped the balance payment and let them chase me for it, but I was daft enough to trust this company to do the right thing and they didn't. I wrote and told them that I was a frontline NHS worker and needed a refund as I cannot rebook as my holidays have to be agreed many months in advance. I sent them a copy of my wage slip, NHS ID, and NHS photo ID, and copy of the salary being paid into my bank and they did not reply. I sent it twice more and still no reply. I contacted them on Facebook and Twitter and they blocked me without replying. They do not answer the phone and eventually after lots of emails which they ignored they refunded two thirds and one third of the balance they have put down as a future credit. How on earth can I trust this company to even consider booking a holiday with them again? I complained as did many others to the CMA who state that we are allowed a FULL REFUND due to a frustrated contract. How can I trust a company that takes balances out of our accounts when we cannot go to holiday lettings during the current health legislation? How can I trust a company that cuts off all ways of communication? You send them an email and you get an automated response with a do not reply email address. You think that by sending them a facebook or twitter message you may get a response to then realise they have blocked you? I recently had to cancel a flight and holiday with a different company who did not hesitate to refund me but Sykes are just hanging on to people"s money regardless. I kept my side of the contract by paying my balance and they are charging me fees and commission for what? The commission is between them and the cottage owner and not me. They reluctantly gave me a partial refund and the rest they kept as a future credit. I told them before they took my balance I did not want a credit only a full refund and I explained my reasons. Who even knows whether they may go bankrupt before long but in the meantime they are keeping back money from their customers.  I wish now I had blocked the payment like hundreds of other people have. I would have lost just £20.00 but now I am out of pocket. If Sykes had communicated with me then there would not have been the need for me to leave a negative review. I have now made a claim with my credit card company for a section 75 chargeback. Sykes has lost my custom and many thousands of others who are in the same situation as myself. Even some cottage owners are taking away their custom from Sykes. I have used Sykes before but never again. In future I will only book directly with an owner in case I use one of their other companies Sykes are involved with. There are lots of negative feedback all over the Internet against Sykes Cottages. Read them and make up your own minds. But I will never use them ever again!